Nintendo: no interest in smartphone gaming

Over the years, Nintendo has blessed us with some of the greatest games of all time. The Zelda series, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid… all freakin’ classics.

So it’s with a heavy heart that I report Nintendo’s complete lack of interest in developing games for Android or iOS. Nyoh.

Rumours were rife following Pokemon Co’s foray into the mobile arena. It recently announced that Pokemon Tap will be available later in the summer for both Android and iOS. Nintendo was expected to follow suit, and indeed its shares rose in anticipation.

However, Ninty spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa has dashed those hopes, telling Bloomberg that the company’s policy of only making games for its own hardware “hasn’t changed and won’t change”.

Minagawa pointed out that Pokemon Co is in fact an independent company, 32%-owned by Nintendo, and as such free to do whatever the heck it wants.

Nintendo has reportedly suffered with the rise of smartphone gaming, and its new 3DS console is currently struggling to outsell the humble DSi.

I feel a bit sorry for Nintendo. Their short-sightedness of having to release a Wii successor much earlier than their competitors and inability to notice the smartphone gaming trend will cost them dearly. Solid first-party support is the only thing that will keep them going.